Talk
by JaneIsles
Summary: Zelena and Regina have a little chat about their current situation regarding the Evil Queen when Maleficent shows up, revealing a little more than Regina would've liked her to. This will feature several encounters between Regina, Maleficent, The Evil Queen and Zelena trying to deal with the situation and the past.
1. Talk

"What do you think you're doing?" Regina asked and sighed in frustration. Zelena sat on the sofa looking utterly relaxed and content which annoyed Regina even more. This whole situation had gotten out of hand and that wasn't what Regina had anticipated in the first place. She had wanted to make things right and in the end they have been off worse than before.

The last thing she needed is Zelena bonding with her evil half. They had just gotten a little bit closer, shedding off old habits and grudges. Regina understood all too well how Zelena felt. Being excluded and left alone but that hadn't been her intention but her sister failed to see that. Regina couldn't even blame her. They both had lost someone and they have different ways of dealing with it but if there was one thing Regina knew better than anyone else it was getting lost in revenge and hatred. She didn't want her sister to go back there, certainly not with her baby. That's not the life they deserved, not the life anyone should have.

Regina paced the living room, attempting to remain calm as the frustration threatened to get the better of her.

"What do you want from her?" Regina asked and stopped to look at her sister. "What did she promise you?"

"I don't see how that's any of your business, sis," Zelena smiled, knowing that it would irritate the hell out of her sister.

"I know you're mad at me," Regina started, ignoring the last remark. She wasn't in the mood to pick a fight and she tried her best to avoid it. "I know you feel like I tried to get rid of the part that was most like you,' she said and Zelena avoided her sister's gaze, crossing her arms in defiance. "That was not my intention at all."

"What were you trying to do achieve?" Zelena asked. She still had to understand why her sister had done that. Deep inside she knew but it didn't seem all that reasonable to her, not at the moment. "Did you really think you could get rid of her so easily?"

"Actually... Yes," Regina admitted and shrugged her shoulders. It sounded as stupid as it probably had been but there was nothing she could do about it right now, she'd simply have to deal with it.

Zelena laughed. There was no humor in it, maybe she was mocking her and it served Regina right. "And I always thought you were smarter than that."

"That makes two of us," Regina said and Zelena looked at her. "I'm not proud of what I did. Not proud of anything. I tried to get rid of her because I thought it would change who I am. I had tried so hard to be a better person."

"And where did that get you?" Zelena asked and the bitterness in that question hurt deep inside. She was right, Regina had been asking herself that same question over and over again but she refused to give in now.

"Not everything has been bad, you know," Regina said and Zelena rolled her eyes.

"Stop mothering me!"

"I'm not, for God's sake!" Regina almost yelled, loosing her patience. She had enough of that childish, defiant behavior for once. "I'm trying to help you and I'm sick of you being such a sulky child," she held up her hand when Zelena set off to interrupt her. "Yes, things have gone wrong, not everything is how it should be and things suck but you're not helping anyone, especially not yourself or your daughter, if you simply revert back to old habits."

Zelena seemed quiet for now. Regina didn't know whether she was actually thinking about what she had just said or whether she was ignoring her.

"I tried to be evil and it got me nowhere and I tried to be good and Robin still died. I tried to get rid of the part that was most like me, and it had nothing to do with you. You want to know where it got me? I'm still not so sure, this is a terrible mess I don't know how to take care of. It was stupid to think I could just get rid of her, she will always be a part of me. I am scared of her, she is intolerable and ruthless and far worse than I had ever been because now I took the good part away from her," Regina took a deep breath, sitting down on the edge of the armchair in front of Zelena.

"You and Henry are the only family I have left and I won't let the Evil Queen take it away. Whatever she's doing, whatever she has promised you, it's not worth it."

"What do you know of the promises she made?" Zelena wanted to know and Regina smiled to herself. She knew how the Evil Queen fought her battles, it's not like she hadn't been familiar with that once.

"She has promised you that evil always wins and that you and her will one day rule this place again... Blah, blah, blah. We've all heard that before. She has told you how terrible a person I am for trying to kill her and that I've gone all soft. She's put salt to the wounds, she has told you exactly what you wanted to hear."

"It just felt like at least someone listened for once. Without trying to reprimand me!"

"She has been manipulating you," Regina said and it almost hurt a little. "She is using you to get her revenge. We've all been there, done that. I'll listen to you but you refuse to talk to me!"

"Well, it's not as easy as it might seem to you,"

"So help me out!" Regina almost begged. "I really don't know what to do. I try and try but you keep fighting me."

"I thought things would be better once I got what I wanted," Zelena admitted after a moment of silence. Her voice was quiet, almost resigned. "Somehow it feels like nothing changed at all."

"It won't unless you change the way you used to think," Regina said. "I learned that the hard way, it wasn't pretty and it took me a lot of work to convince everyone that I don't want to kill them any longer simply because they looked at me," she said and Zelena chuckled. "It was worth it."

Regina sighed.

"You have a child now," Regina said, trying her last approach. "I'm not telling you how to raise your child but do you want her to grow up in a world where revenge and hatred are ruling? Loneliness even? She doesn't deserve that, that was our battle, not our children's."

Regina watched quietly as Zelena rose from her place and walked toward the window. Zelena loved her child more than anyone else and she knew that these words had hit home somehow. Almost two minutes passed in silence before the witch spoke, almost whispering.

"I don't want her to grow up like I did," she said without looking at her sister. The truth was that Regina didn't know much about her sister's past, her childhood or the way she grew up. A few of their memories had been restored in the underworld but that simply accounted for a small period of time. There was still so much that they didn't know about each other and Regina wondered whether they would ever get to that point. There was only so much information you found in a book and they both knew the stories were only half-told.

"In a world where I didn't belong, raised by people who didn't want me. Where no one wanted me," she said quietly. She was the one that Cora had kept but still hadn't been easy on Regina. Much like her sister she had fought loneliness but it had been a different kind of loneliness. There was more a betrayal than a disappointment.

"She never will," Regina said. She approached slowly, keeping a respective distance. "You love her and you would never let anything happen to her. Neither will I or anyone else," Regina told her. It was the truth and they both knew it. "You won't be lonely, I won't allow that but you need to help me out a little."

"Ok," Zelena whispered with a sigh and the brunette knew that this was probably all she'd get for now and it was enough.

"Stay away from her," Regina softly urged her sister. She didn't want Zelena to get hurt and she meant it. "Apart from what she has been claiming, she has nothing to offer."

"And how do you think you'll solve your problem?"

"Is that... A yes?" Regina asked carefully before proceeding.

"Do I really have a choice?" Zelena answered quietly and looked at her daughter, sleeping soundly in the crib in front of her. For a moment Regina thought that there is always a choice but she didn't want to push it. She had already gotten more than she had hoped for.

"So, what now?" The witch asked when they heard something move behind them. They both turned to find a tall blonde woman leaning against the doorframe. Zelena immediately took a step in front of her daughter, regarding the stranger. Regina, on the other hand, didn't seem threatened or alarmed. A little surprised maybe.

There was something impressive about the women, elegantly dressed in an all-black outfit. Her hair was tied back in a loose bun, wearing a light red lipstick that worked perfectly for her. She seemed comfortable around this place, self-conscious. Zelena noticed that she had an impressive but also dangerous aura about her. Regina had not taken her eyes of the blonde women and Zelena noticed that they had probably met before. Any stranger would've been confronted the minuted they stepped in here, uninvited.

"What do you want?" Regina asked calmly. She knew the answer to that question, had seen it in the sorceress eyes the second she showed up and she prayed that the blonde would keep it to herself. She didn't know if she'd have the nerve to put up with that now. She felt Maleficent's eyes on her, ignoring the shiver it sent down her spine.

"You," was the answer the sorceress had on her lips, the mischievous smile almost gave her away but she kept it to herself and slowly walked toward her former lover.

"I heard of your little... Problem," Maleficent said and raised an eyebrow at Regina. Zelena remained quiet, taking in the whole scene in front of her. The blonde seemed perfectly at ease; Regina didn't appear to be intimidated but Zelena couldn't put her finger on it.

Regina sighed and crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"Haven't you learned anything from me, dear?" Maleficent asked which caught Zelena's attention. As far as she had been aware Regina, much like herself, had only been taught by Rumple.

"If you're here to mock me, you can show yourself out," Regina said calmly, trying not to let the sorceress get to her. It had been a while since they had seen each other but the attraction between them had never faded the slightest.

"No need to be offended, Gina," Maleficent said equally calm in that soft, low purr that made her a little weak in the knees. She walked around Regina, staying close enough to put a hand on the brunette's hip. Her hand barely touched Regina but she felt it, knew exactly where it was and she found herself unable to stop it.

"So," Maleficent said, staying close enough so that Regina felt the heat of the dragon's body, smelled her perfume, felt her warm breath close to her cheek when she spoke over Regina's shoulder. "That's her? Your little sister?" She asked and turned toward Regina, their faces only inches apart. Zelena was pretty distracted by the display in front of her to acknowledge the strangers question. Zelena had never seen anyone so close to Regina, especially not since Robin died. This woman had stepped right into her personal space, touching her even and Regina hadn't flinched at all. There was something so familiar about it that it surprised Zelena.

"Yes, that's my sister, Zelena," Regina said, regaining her composure with a deep breath. She stepped away from the blonde woman, who smiled to herself, knowing exactly what kind of effect she had on the brunette.

"And you are?" Zelena asked and raised an eyebrow at the stranger, still not quite sure what to make of the whole situation.

"Maleficent," the blonde women said sweetly and offered Zelena her hand. Much to her surprise she took it and Zelena noticed that the hand was unexpectedly warm, for some reason she had expected it to be cold.

"The dragon witch," Zelena said more to herself.

"Oh, so you've heard of me?" Maleficent asked and Regina didn't miss the slightest hint of pride in her voice. "Pleasure to meet you, Zelena," the dragon said and focused her attention on Regina. The gaze with which they regarded each other made it seem like they were the only people in the room, Zelena was simply an outsider watching something unfold and for once she didn't mind.

"Tell me what you did," Maleficent asked and Regina sighed, not wanting to admit to the stupid thing she had done.

"I tried to kill her," Regina said. "I was so sick of her!"

"I'm not here to judge, love. I meant what I said: I'm here to help," the blonde said almost softly. "What other choice do you have?" She said before Regina had a chance to protest. She knew, if there was one person to help, would be her.

"Alright," Regina said and pinched the back of her nose with two fingers. Something inside of her was hesitating all of a sudden. There was a small voice inside of her that urged her to be careful.

"Regina," Maleficent said softly like they were alone in the living room. A single word spoken so softly that it caused a variety of emotions and long-lost memories to flood her mind. She had only used it that way, early in the morning when the world outside was still quiet and peaceful. After they had made love and whispered to each other as if anyone would hear them.

"I trust you," Regina said quietly and looked into the icy-blue eyes. Maleficent nodded.

"You know where to find me," Maleficent said and without regarding them both with another look she disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke. Regina remained frozen in place for couple of moments.

"What the hell was that?" Zelena asked almost amused, slowly grasping the nature of their relationship.

"She's... An old friend," Regina said and almost rolled her eyes at the lamest of excuses. She just wanted a couple of seconds to herself, a chance to regain her composure.

"Really?" Zelena asked and raised an eyebrow at her sister, following her into the kitchen. "What kind of things did she teach you anyway?" Zelena asked, actually curious.

"You really don't want to know," Regina muttered under her breath and turned her back to Zelena, taking her sweet time making herself a cup of coffee. Zelena leaned against the counter at the other side of the kitchen, watching curiously.

"Oh my God, are you sleeping with her?" Zelena asked, slightly amused. It was the only explanation that actually made sense and the scales fell from her eyes.

Regina stopped stirring her coffee, feeling caught and somehow exposed. "No," she said slowly and it didn't sound convincing, not even to her ears. Technically though, they hadn't had sex in quite a long time so that didn't count, did it?

"Maleficent and I have quite a long history," Regina started to explain, avoiding her sister's gaze.

"I'm sure you do," Zelena said sounding slightly amused.

"Our friendship," Regina explained, stressing the last word. "Is something that goes back a long time. I met her during a very troubled time and she taught me a lot of magic. Nothing more."

Zelena shook her head with a laugh.

"Cheeky you, now way," Zelena said. "Not buying it. You were totally sleeping with her."

"Even if there had ever been... Something," Regina said and prayed that she wasn't blushing because that would give her away immediately. "It was a long time ago..."

"Ha! So you're not denying it. I was right," Zelena said triumphantly and leaned forward, placing both underarms on the counter, facing her sister. "Tell me more," she said calmly but Regina wasn't sure whether her sister was simply curious or fishing for information that she could use against her. Either way she wasn't in the mood to talk about it.

"No!" Regina said with a certain determination and grabbed her cup of coffee, hoping that Zelena would just drop it.

"You were the one who wanted to talk," Zelena said, following her back into the living room.

"That's not the kind of talk I meant."

"Fine," Zelena said and settled back onto the sofa. "I'll just ask her then," she said and Regina regarded her quietly for a few seconds before she laughed and shook her head.

"Good luck with that," she said and left for her office.


	2. A Bitter Truth

**A/N: I know Zelena is the older one but for some reason I've always considered her to be the younger one. It really won't make much of a difference for this story. Thanks for reading, it's greatly appreciated.**

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Maleficent sat on the sofa, indulging in the peaceful silence of her apartment. Something rather small, considering the castle she had once resided in but nevertheless better and more comfortable than then cold, dark vault she had been trapped in the for decades. Maleficent was certain she could've found something else; something bigger that suited the dragon sorceress a little more but she had recently realized that this was not what she needed any longer. She wasn't that person anymore and all of a sudden the thought of a vast, dark and cold castle appeared pretty uncomfortable. Even that thought made her feel a little lonely on the inside. She didn't want to get lost there; she wanted to leave that behind.

She had opted for a three-bedroom apartment that was different from the Forbidden Fortress in any way; warm and cosy. It looked nothing like the ruthless sorceress she had been back in the day though it resembled a different Maleficent. One only few people knew, the one she kept hidden safely behind walls and only showed to those she trusted. She wondered what Regina would say about that and she pictured the Queen smiling at it though not judging her. They both had changed over the years, what point was there in denying that? It wasn't as bad as she had always imagined though harder than she had anticipated. Letting go of old habits was never easy.

Letting go of old lovers seemed even harder. She had always loved Regina and she knew a part of her would always do so. She had once touched her so deeply that nothing would be able to erase that imprint. Maleficent sighed and sipped her coffee. Keeping up her composure earlier had been harder than she thought. It was simply another reminder of how deeply Regina affected her; she had played it cool, feeling somewhat relieved that Regina had reacted to her actions so easily. It had not gone unnoticed but she had always been better at hiding it. The sorceress smiled into her cup, wondering if Regina knew what effect she had on her. She stared into the fireplace, hot flames dancing soothingly. She smiled at the color of her cushions: dark purple.

 _Some things never change,_ she thought and smiled at that and thought of Zelena. The younger one, no doubt. She had heard rumors about the Wicked Witch of the West and that the said which turned out to be her lovers sister. That had surprised her a little, an unexpected one and Maleficent had yet to understand the whole story. She had heard of the dragon sorceress for sure and that thought made Maleficent smile with a secret pride. Even in other realms, and Zelena must have been from a different place, they had heard about her. She didn't seem intimidated but rather protective; she had had her guard up almost immediately and she knew when to stay out of it while watching the two of them.

Maleficent wondered how much the little one knew, she couldn't imagine Regina prancing around, telling everyone about their common past. This had always been their most treasured secret. There had been a certain tension in the air when Maleficent arrived and maybe she had chosen the perfect moment to interrupt the time of sisterly bonding. She sensed that things were off and not going quite smoothly between the two of them.

It made the blonde curious. There was a certain innocence about Zelena although something told her that she wasn't innocent at all. There was a reason they called her the Wicked Witch and she certainly took pride in it. There was a different kind of innocence about her; it almost reminded her of a young Regina who came looking for help. She had been terrified and furious at the same time, blinded by rage; rushing into revenge head-first. It almost seemed like she had yet to learn to deal with her anger and all the emotions she kept bottled up. Knowing Regina and how stubborn she could be she had a feeling that her younger sister wouldn't be any different and she certainly wouldn't let anyone tell her what was right and wrong.

Something that was admirable and infuriating at the same time and the thought of Regina trying to deal with her stubborn sister made her chuckle a little. She rose from her place to refill her cup, sighing when she remembered the initial problem, the purpose of her visit.

The return of the infamous Evil Queen. Something told Maleficent that the discussion, she had interrupted, had somehow involved her. She had noticed a certain sadness, a pain that lingered within the Wicked Witch. It was a curse as much as it was a gift to be able to sense these kind of things and it had driven Regina crazy that she had been unable to hide feelings from her lover from time to time. One morning, after they had made love, Maleficent had promised Regina not to read her or her emotions without permission. It had been a gift of trust; Regina would talk to her whenever she felt like it. She had never broken that promise until today but with Zelena it had been far too easy. There had been so many different feelings that Maleficent had trouble keeping track and it almost made her feel sorry for the young witch. She seemed confused, not knowing what to do with herself. In addition to that there had been a certain kind of sadness and pain that Maleficent couldn't place.

She poured herself another cup and looked up; she felt her presence before she could see her. Maleficent waited behind the counter, the cup of coffee in her hand.

"How can I help you?" Maleficent asked calmly, almost sweetly when the Wicked Witch appeared in her kitchen. She had nothing to fear and absolutely no reason to be defensive. For now. She regarded the witch quietly, waiting. She appeared almost uncertain but it took her only an instant to regain her composure.

"Just poppin' over for a little chat?" Maleficent prompted and raised an eyebrow at the witch, a smile on her lips. If she wasn't mistaken Zelena hadn't thought this through and came here in the spur of a moment decision. Maleficent walked around the counter, never taking her eyes off Zelena.

Zelena put her hands on her hips, not looking at the sorceress. The truth was that she didn't really know what she wanted in the first place. She had asked Regina about the nature of her relationship with Maleficent but her sister had refused to give up any information. Was that really the purpose of her impromptu visit to the sorceress? Her own curiosity?

Zelena sighed, knowing that there was more to it. Although their mother had filled some of the gaps in their memories there were still many unanswered questions that neither of them dared to ask or was ready to answer. Suddenly she had seen it as a chance to find out more about her sister and the kind of person she had once been.

"Does Regina know you're here?" Maleficent asked. She already knew why Zelena had come, it had been easy to read but she wanted to give her a chance and the questions she wanted answered weren't easy ones and the sorceress wasn't sure if she could help her out.

"I don't need my sister's approval for anything!" She said almost defensively.

"No you don't," Maleficent said more to herself and sat down on a chair and motioned for Zelena to do the same and sit opposite her.

"Can I get you a cup of coffee?"

"I won't be long," she said and put if off. She leaned back in her chair and for an instant she reminded Maleficent of herself. That poor, misunderstood creature pretending so hard not to need anyone.

"What is it between you and my sister?" She asked all of a sudden and the blonde laughed to herself.

"I thought Regina has already decided not to tell you?" Maleficent asked in return without having talked to Regina but she knew her Queen. For a second Zelena seemed surprised. "I know Regina and I'm pretty sure that she hasn't told you anything at all," the sorceress said calmly.

"I was curious," Zelena admitted.

"Fair enough," Maleficent said. "But do you really think that going behind your sister's back to fish for personal information, that she wants to keep private, will help you at all?" Zelena seemed to think about that for a moment.

She honestly hadn't considered that and although the old Zelena wouldn't have hesitated to get what she wanted, it now made her think twice but she didn't want to admit it.

Something told the dragon that Zelena wouldn't back down until she had some sort of answer so she decided to give her just a little to satisfy her curiosity for the time being so that they could move on to the real reason of her visit.

"Your sister and I," the blonde said and straightened her back. "Have a long, common history," she explained. "Our relationship goes way back and has been anything but easy," she said calmly and Zelena listened. "Regina is my friend, maybe the only real one I've ever had," she said and wondered whether that would ease her curiosity for now.

"So you're telling me you didn't shag every now and then?"

A brief smile came across the sorceress' lips but she decided not to rise to the bait and regained her calm composure.

"It was more than that," the blonde said and kept talking before her opponent had a chance to keep beating around the bush. "Zelena," Maleficent said calmly and for the first time she felt like she really had the other woman's attention. "Why don't you ask me what you really came here for?"

Maleficent held the eye contact, something she had learned while intimidating her victims. There was pain and insecurity, something she had already suspected but there was more. "I believe I know what you want," Maleficent said and leaned back in her chair. "But I'm giving you a chance," she simply said. She didn't want to intimidate or scare her away. She meant what she had just said. She still deeply cared for Regina and she knew that sorting things out with her sister would mean a lot to her and she wanted to help.

"I'm trying to understand," Zelena said with a sigh. She sounded almost frustrated.

"You want to know why Cora gave you away?" Maleficent asked, refusing to address that woman as 'mother' because she didn't deserve that.

"What do you know about that?" Zelena said, sounding angry all of a sudden and Mal knew she had hit a soft spot.

"Seemed only logical," Maleficent said. Not too long ago she had had a similar conversation with her own daughter. "What exactly is your problem with Regina?"

"She keeps claiming that I make a fuzz about everything and that it wasn't worth it!" Zelena said. "Keeps saying that I shouldn't be mad. Easy for her to say!"

Slowly, Maleficent began to understand where this was going and she took a deep breath. They were heading for a dark path, uncovering a bitter truth but maybe it would shed light on things and help her understand Regina a little. The truth hurt but sometimes that was exactly what you needed but they were moving on thin ice; some things had been hard, even for the dragon sorceress.

"You really have no idea," Maleficent said calmly and there was the slightest hint of sadness in its wake.

"What do you mean?" Zelena wanted to know. "She's not the one who had been tossed away because no one wanted her and taken to a land where I didn't belong! She got to be queen!"

"That's what it's all about? Jealousy?" Maleficent rose from her seat, taking a deep breath. She allowed herself a few seconds to gather her thoughts. "Believe me, you have been better off with having been tossed away," Maleficent said with a certain bitterness and kept talking when Zelena opened her mouth to protest. "I know it sounds hard and it's probably not what you want to hear but you have been better off without your mother."

"What the hell do you know about it?" Zelena asked through gritted teeth.

"A lot more than you might think," Maleficent said a little louder this time. "A lot more than I ever asked for and why did you even come here if you thought I wouldn't have some answers for you?" Maleficent said and Zelena rose from her chair.

"Maybe this was a bad idea," Zelena said. "A waste of time."

"Because I won't tell you what you wanted to hear? No, you will sit down and listen," Maleficent said and looked at Zelena, giving her no chance to refuse. "You'll listen to what I have to say!"

Zelena sat down and took a deep breath. The blonde was right, she had come here for a reason and she felt like she wasn't in any position to tell her off.

"Let me get this straight," Maleficent said and tried to sum it up to give herself a chance to mentally prepare herself to go back to that dark place. "You're jealous of your sister because she was the one Cora has kept. Because Regina got to be Queen in a beautiful palace and you got nothing?" Maleficent asked and Zelena nodded quietly, it suddenly sounded stupid if you put it like this.

"I don't know what Regina has told you and a part of me feels like I shouldn't talk to you about this at all," Maleficent said and that small voice inside her head warned but she ignored it, it had to be done. She wouldn't believe a word of it if it came from Regina herself. "I mean it when I say that you have been better off without Cora," Maleficent said, holding onto her half-filled cup. Zelena regarded the woman in front of her. She had heard a bit about the dragon sorceress; she had been impressed by her composure and her elegance but all of a sudden that composure seemed to crack a little, she appeared uncomfortable.

"Ever since your mother," Maleficent said and it tasted like acid. "Was your age she had tried gain power and wealth and her methods have been rather questionable," Maleficent said. She only remembered what Regina had once told her.

"That says a lot coming from you," Zelena said.

"True," Mal admitted. "She gave you away because you seemed inconvenient at that time. I know that's not fair but what Regina had to go through wasn't fair either," Maleficent said and closed her eyes, remembering the young and innocent woman Regina had once been. "Cora had powers that she had always used to intimidate her daughter, used it to punish her even,' she said. "Have you ever heard of Daniel? Or how exactly Regina became Queen?" Maleficent asked and Zelena shook her head. She had never thought about that and she had that odd feeling that, what she was about to hear, wouldn't be pleasant.

"Daniel was the man Regina loved," Maleficent said. It had been an innocent kind of love, nothing they had later shared but that wasn't the point. "He was the stable boy and not fit for Regina, according to your mother. It wouldn't have gotten them anywhere, you see?" Zelena watched the sorceress and listened. "One day, Regina saved a little girl whose horse had gone wild, want to take a guess who that was?" Maleficent asked and Zelena looked a little confused, slowly putting the pieces together.

"Snow White," Maleficent said with a certain bitterness in her voice. "Regina saved little Snow White and how convenient had it been that Snow's father, the King, happened to be close by, looking for a wife?"

"What happened to Daniel?" Zelena asked quietly. She had only known about Robin, her one true love, whom she had lost not too long ago and how she hadn't been quite innocent in that regard; she briefly thought about Hades whom she had loved years and years ago.

"As you might imagine Regina hadn't been to keen on marrying a stranger, old enough to be her father; against her will," Maleficent said, feeling almost guilty for rubbing it in like that. "But there was nothing Regina could do, not against Cora," Maleficent said, slowly destroying the picture Zelena had created for herself. "A couple of days before the wedding they made a decision to run away and Regina had made the mistake of confiding in little Snow White. Cora surprised them, killing Daniel while Regina watched helplessly."

"I had no idea," Zelena said quietly, seemingly shaken for the first time.

"After that there was nothing left for Regina. There was no other choice. Cora was powerful and abusive, manipulative," Maleficent said. "She wanted power and wealth and she had gladly sacrificed her daughters happiness for it."

"What did she do?" Zelena asked, trying to picture a much younger Regina, forced to marry the King.

"She complied, of course," Maleficent said. "At first. She had endured it bravely, quietly with her head held high and her pain and revenge kept within but it had only been a matter of time. See, she had been taught by Rumple much like you and your mother but he had also been the one who encouraged Regina to trap her mother in the mirror," this caught Zelena's attention furthermore, reminding her of former deals she'd had with him.

"Don't ever trust him, he used Regina just like everyone else had. From the very first time he had been using her, making her powerful enough to enact his course, it had been planned out all along."

This, too, had been new pieces of information for the Wicked Witch. She had always thought that Regina had simply done it all by herself for her own selfish reasons. It had never actually occurred to her that there might have been someone else behind it.

"What do you think that made her feel? Being forced into a life she never wanted? Doesn't sound too appealing, does it?" Maleficent said quietly, it was the same thing the witch had complained about all these years. "Regina was desperate, lonely, sad and full of grief," Maleficent said. Hoping this would somehow help to make her understand. "The King wanted children, ensure that there was an heir to take his place, how much of a choice do you think Regina had?" Maleficent said quietly.

Once again she rose from her chair and walked over to the window. She needed to put a certain distance between them. She felt her own guilt and the anger boil in her stomach, tingle in her fingertips. She looked at the woman sitting at her table. All of a sudden the Wicked Witch looked shattered and deflated. The bitter truth behind her words had struck home, sinking in slowly. Zelena laid her face in her hands and Maleficent felt almost sorry.

She had spent so many years hating a woman she had never even met, painting this pretty picture of how it had been and Maleficent had suddenly shattered it within minutes. There were a few minutes of eery silence before Mal spoke, her voice filled with guilt.

"She came to me, looking for help," Maleficent said slowly and remained standing by the window. "She needed a way out, she needed more power and someone she could trust," Zelena nodded. "I wasn't in the best condition myself when she came looking for help, as I said our relationship was... Is rather complicated," she said and suddenly all those images returned.

All these awful things that she had pushed away for years and the anger seemed to get the better of her. "I didn't just teach her magic, showed her how to become stronger," Maleficent said and suddenly the emotions welled up and she willed them to remain hidden on the inside. She spoke slowly and deliberate, putting a lot of effort into keeping her voice from cracking.

"I've tended to her wounds, mentally and physically," Maleficent said through gritted teeth. "I've seen things I never wanted to see, not on Regina," she said angrily and for an instant her eyes glistened with tears.

 _Not on the woman I loved,_ she thought and she didn't have to say it out loud.

"I've seen bruises and despair," Maleficent said and this time it was her part to sound guilty. "I've let her slip when I should've caught her."

"You loved her," Zelena said quietly; it wasn't a question. She stared straight ahead, couldn't bear to look at the sorceress. Her sudden attitude had vanished, her anger deflated. Everything she had held onto had been shattered.

"Doesn't sound like something to be envious for, does it?" Maleficent said but she didn't want an answer; it was written all over Zelena's face.

"I don't know what to do," Zelena admitted, obvious defeat in her voice. It wasn't something she was used to. Being mad at Regina didn't seem like an option any longer but she suddenly felt like talking to her wasn't either. She felt guilty and ashamed; angry with herself.

"She didn't get rid of the Evil Queen because of you," Maleficent reminded the Wicked Witch. "She tried to get rid of her past," Maleficent explained and Zelena nodded. "That part will never be undone, there's no way to get rid of it as we have seen but it had nothing to do with you and it won't help anyone if you team up with the Evil Queen now," Maleficent said. "I won't tell you what to do, but remember that you have a baby girl at home," that was all the sorceress needed to say.

Zelena had already said that she doesn't want her daughter to grow up like that. Maybe that'll give her something to think about.

Zelena hugged herself, having a sudden urge to go home and cuddle with Robin, keeping her safe.

"Go home," Maleficent urged her calmly and Zelena resisted the urge to ask her how exactly she knew what she thought about. She hated Maleficent for telling her all that, for shattering her truth. For being closer to her sister then she'll ever be. But she also admired her for being so strong and confident, for being honest with her.

Zelena rose to leave. "Please don't tell Regina," Maleficent asked the witch. "Don't ask her about it, let me talk to her first."

"Sure," Zelena said. "Thank you."

Maleficent sighed with relief the second Zelena was gone. She felt the weight on her shoulders, the sudden emotions flooding her mind. She put her cup on the counter before she dropped onto the sofa, laid her face in her hands and cried silently for the first time in decades.

Zelena picked up her daughter from Red and went home. She didn't have the strength to face Regina, not tonight and she wanted to keep the promise she had made to the sorceress. She didn't bother with anything else; she laid down on the bed, keeping her baby girl close. There were so many emotions inside of her that she felt slightly overwhelmed and numb at the same time. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears when she held her daughter, promising never to let anything happen to her.


	3. Ancient Demons

**A/N: Maleficent tells Regina about her conversation with Zelena and the Queen's reactions surprises her a little, forcing them to deal with ancient demons. It gets a little emotional.**

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Maleficent woke early in the morning after a restless night of tossing and turning; she heard the rain splatter against the window and opened her eyes. She saw the grey sky without leaving the warm and comforting confines of her bed. The weather matched her mood somehow, she thought with a trace of amusement that vanished as soon as it flashed up.

She had always preferred the colder, rainier days; they comforted her in a weird way. She sighed and closed her eyes. She was still tired, felt it in every fiber of her body but there was no way she would find peace any time soon. She knew what had unsettled her last night and what kept her from going to sleep in the early hours of that rainy morning but she couldn't get her body to move.

She had to talk to Regina; sooner than later. She had asked Zelena not to say a word but the truth was that she had no idea whether she would kept her promise or how long she would do so. There was a fair chance Regina will notice that something has changed and she'll start asking questions. The sorceress knew that she couldn't put it off any longer and while she had faced horrible battles and fights she had this unsettling thought that the worst was yet to come. Going back to the Enchanted Forest, if only in her mind, had cost an awful lot of strength; something she hadn't expected. Maleficent never thought about these times, blocked out the horrible memories but she had also told herself that she was okay with it only to realize that this wasn't true at all. She had never dealt with it but simply put it away. Talking about it to a stranger had felt weird and it had caused all these raw emotions to claw their way back to the surface. They had mercilessly consumed her from within, nearly choking her as she had tried not to let the tears flow while the witch was still around. Only when she was gone did she allow herself to give in to the sudden pain that washed over her, drowning her for a little while.

Maleficent had cried and although a part of her was still wondering what it had been about or why this had caused her to be so emotional all of a sudden she allowed herself to get lost in this unknown sorrow and pain. The thought of facing Regina made her feel uneasy, nervous even. Another thing she wasn't used to, especially not when it came to Regina.

 _Maybe that's the price we'll have to pay,_ she thought. The price for freedom; a better life with their past abandoned far behind them. She sat up in her bed, leaning against the bedhead with her arms hugging her knees in a rather comforting, curled up position. She watched the constant rain against the window, heard a softly blowing breeze blowing through her apartment and pulled the covers a little closer around herself, warding off the chill. She knew how to keep herself warm, she still kept her fire within but it had been a slumber less night and she felt the fatigue heavy in her bones so it took a little while.

 _Thanks to Regina,_ she thought and remembered how her little Queen had played a vital role in returning that fire to her. She had been the reason Maleficent had found the strength to get up and get her shit together. She owed Regina so much. The dragon turned her head, facing the empty side of the bed. At this very moment she was back in the Forbidden Fortress with Regina sitting by her side in an almost even posture. Knowing that this was simply an imagination of an overtired mind she savored the moment nonetheless. She almost forgot to breathe, afraid that the illusion will be gone in the blink of an eye. Once more the guilt weighed heavily on her shoulder, pressing on her chest so that it was hard to breathe. What she had told Zelena came from the most painful and personal parts of Regina's life, it felt like she has given something away. A heavily guarded treasure that should've never been unveiled but there was no going back now and Maleficent stood by her opinion although it might cause her to lose Regina and the thought burdened her heart with tremendous sadness. She felt herself blinking back fresh tears and closed her eyes before it was time to leave.

Regina stood in her kitchen with a cup of coffee in her hand. It was rainy and gloomy outside and although she should've been on her way to the office by now but she didn't want to step outside just yet. She could always use magic to get there which is also the reason she kept telling herself that she still had time.

It was quiet this morning; Henry was at Emma's and there was no baby crying she noticed and remembered that Zelena hadn't dropped by since their most recent conversation Regina sighed, wondering whether her sister was still sulky because she felt like she was being mothered and mistrusted all the time or because Regina had refused to reveal certain pieces of information concerning her past with Maleficent. She made a mental note to call Zelena as soon as she finished the paperwork in her office, maybe she could calm the waves a little and take care of a certain Evil Queen, who was still terrorizing the town.

She sipped her coffee in silence, reveling in the quiet blissfulness it gave her for only an instant. That small voice in the back of her head warned her that this was probably just the quiet before the storm. It was right but she refused to let it ruin the moment. Closing her eyes she took a deep breath, the sweet and comforting smell of freshly brewed coffee filling her nostrils and the slightest hint of a smile crossed her lips when the scent mixed with something familiar; sweet and smokey at the same time with the faintest hint of lavender in its wake. She would always recognize that smell she thought and opened her eyes.

Maleficent was right where Regina had imagined her, at the other side of the counter. Now that they were on their own Regina felt slightly more at ease. She regarded the sorceress quietly for a couple of seconds, noticing that her composure and her look had softened a little. She had exchanged her usually sleek and elegant attire for something more comfortable and cosy. It suited her so well but it also amused Regina just a little though she knew better than to point it out.

"A second visit in such a short time," Regina remarked. "To what do I owe you the pleasure this time?" She asked and tried to appear non-committed, she didn't want to give in to fast, didn't immediately want to admit that it made her happy to see her old friend.

"I missed you," Maleficent said softly and the truth behind these words suddenly touched Regina deeply, took her by surprise. She had expected a little banter, their usual display of power and dominance but the sorceress had skipped that, going straight to the point. For an instant Regina seemed at a loss of words. She had mentally prepared for their usual game, ready to play but Maleficent had outwitted her with that statement. Regina missed her and had not stopped thinking about the dragon ever since she had invaded her home not too long ago but she wasn't ready yet.

The single sentence had been uttered softly, with a hidden intimacy and a certain vulnerability that reminded Regina of their early days. She thought that this familiarity had long been lost after fights and curses and far too many intrigues. There had always been attraction but trust and intimacy? Regina thought that she had ruined it for good after trapping the dragon beneath the town but maybe it had simply been simmering below the surface. She looked up, locking eyes with the icy blue that was warm and fiery though cold at the same time. She briefly remembered the conversation she had with her sister, telling her that there had never been more than teaching magic and maybe a bit of sex to ease the tension but suddenly Regina realized that it had been so much more than this.

Maleficent had seen her, truly seen her for who she really was. Had seen Regina during the worst times of her life, through her greatest suffering. She didn't refer to the troubles she had created herself but the ones that had been inflicted on her until she had finally managed to free herself and she knew that the reason for that was the woman in front of her. Without Maleficent she wouldn't be here. She had no idea how her life would have turned out if it hadn't been for Maleficent, if she hadn't put up the courage to make that trip to the Forbidden Fortress.

She heard the small voice inside her head, whispering the truth that she had denied for so long. For all she knew she would be dead if it hadn't been for Maleficent. Everything that followed had partially been her own disastrous creation born from betrayal, pain and heartbreaks and the never-ending wish for revenge. Things had changed, except for one thing: the gratitude and the love she felt for the woman.

"Talk to me," she heard Maleficent's voice, begging her calmly. She didn't day the words out loud, never breaking the eye contact though.

"I... I don't know..." Regina whispered more to herself, slowly returning to the present. For a couple of seconds she had allowed herself to get lost in the past and revel in long-gone memories.

"Sorry, I should've knocked... I didn't mean to," she said calmly, feeling the guilt boil in her stomach, weigh heavily on her shoulders. Regina believed it. She wasn't mocking her, there was no sarcasm but a simple truth. She appeared so calm and tender and Regina wonder what had happened. She had a feeling that something was off, it usually took Maleficent quite some time to be this relaxed and at ease. She didn't let her guard down easily and for a moment Regina remembered something that made a cold shiver run down her spine while that thought also excited her a little.

"It's ok, I was just... Surprised," Regina admitted, walking around the counter to stand closer to Maleficent. There was something about her that threw Regina off.

"Have you been playing with you sleeping curse?" Regina asked, wondering if Maleficent was simply stoned just to explain her behavior. She wasn't making fun of her, a part of Regina was seriously concerned for an instant.

"What? No..." Maleficent said when she realized what exactly Regina was asking her. It's not like she had never thought about it again, especially during those lonely times Regina had her trapped in the darkness she had longed for an escape, the blissful solitude that the curse would give her but that was the past and she had no intention of going back there.

Maleficent took a deep breath, crossing her arms in front of her chest. Putting this off any longer wouldn't make it better.

"I talked to Zelena," Maleficent said and Regina raised an eyebrow at her, wondering what their conversation had been about.

"Did she actually come to you to ask you whether we're having an affair?" Regina asked and chuckled at that. "I told her she could try but -"

"That's not what this is about," Maleficent interrupted her; she spoke quietly and there wasn't the slightest trace of amusement. This was not the woman who would've laughed at Zelena being bold enough to ask about them having an affair, there was more to it and Regina didn't like it.

The blonde was still trying to find a way to tell Regina the truth. She didn't want to hurt her but it felt like there was no way around it. Regina would be hurt and it wasn't fair but Maleficent knew it had to be done.

"Did I ever tell you how much I hated myself for letting you down?" Maleficent asked. Regina was taken aback by the question, there was pain in her eyes; regret and guilt. Regina bit her lip, thinking. She had never put it that way, the truth was that she had always thought that it had been vice versa.

"You didn't'" Regina said and shook her head. "You did more for me than I could ever ask for. You saved me," Regina said and took the Dragon's hand.

"I feel like I should've fought you harder when it came to that curse, I should've never let you go through with it let alone encourage this," she said and took a deep breath.

"Maleficent," Regina said calmly with a sudden nervousness creeping through her veins. "It's over, that's in the past. I've moved on," she said.

"But there are certain things from our past that I will never forget, that I can't forget," she almost whispered and closed the distance between them with a step toward Regina, cupping her face softly with her right hand. Regina leaned into the touch, closing her eyes for a second.

"I talked to your sister," Maleficent said again. "She wanted to know what kind of a person you had been. Do you know why she envied you for so long?" Regina looked up, feeling uneasy. A part of her didn't like where this was going.

"She envied you for your wonderfully glorious life as a Queen, a beautiful palace, a loving husband and everything you ever wanted," Maleficent said with a bitterness that was only slightly masked by her anger. Regina laughed at that; it was a humorless laugh that didn't reach her eyes. Regina put her own hand above Maleficent's, still holding on to the touch. She turned her head a litte, placing a soft kiss on the palm of her hand.

"Regina," Maleficent whispered and suddenly there tears glistening in her blue eyes. "I told her the truth," she spoke and the guilt weighed heavily in her words. Suddenly Regina realized the bitter truth behind Maleficent's words; the truth she was referring to. She felt something inside her break, a dull pain inside her chest that suddenly made it hard to breathe. She wasn't angry, her mind still processing this kind of information, but there was the feeling of betrayal that caused her pain; it made her feel numb.

"What did you tell her?" Regina wanted to know, her voice was nothing but a whisper and it suddenly took great effort to speak. The thought made her feel sick to her stomach.

"The truth, Regina," she said a little louder, feeling angry. She wasn't sure whether she was angry with Zelena or simply herself. "Someone had to tell her that she had absolutely nothing to be jealous of! She has absolutely no idea what you had to go through!"

Regina looked at the dragon with pure disbelief on her face; her head was spinning and she felt empty. "No," she whispered and shook her head and felt the tears at the back of her eyes. She had vowed never to go back to that place, pushed away these horrible memories. She had never wanted to return to these dark places. The traces it had left behind would never be gone from her life. Deep inside the ordeal she had to go through made her feel ashamed, a part of her blamed herself. She knew it was ridiculous but that feeling had never vanished, it had always lingered within her. She refused to think about it, let these memories consume her and without a warning Maleficent brought it all back.

"I can't," Regina said and left. She didn't look back, didn't look at Maleficent at all. She wasn't sure where to go, she wanted to get away from Maleficent who had betrayed her in the worst way imaginable. She couldn't leave the house because she suddenly needed the soothing comfort of a familiar place. She walked into her bedroom, standing in the middle of the room. She felt lost and didn't know what to do. She felt unsteady as if someone had pulled the rug out from under her feet. It was her secret, her most painful memory; something she had trusted Maleficent with and no one was ever supposed to find out. She felt exposed and vulnerable; she felt blind anger boil beneath the surface. She wanted to yell and throw things, wanted to be mad at Maleficent and hurt her just like she had hurt Regina. The solid trust she had slowly crumbled and it scared her, took away everything she had held onto so dearly.

She heard Maleficent on the steps and held her breath. She wanted her to leave but at the same time she needed her; she wanted to understand what had happened and why Maleficent, after all people, had done this to her. There was vulnerability behind that anger and outrage and it numbed her. Regina tried to calm herself, her head spinning, and the pressure on her chest increased with every breath she made. It suddenly got hard to breathe but there was nothing she could do about it.

Maleficent wait by the door, having given Regina a couple of seconds to gather her thoughts. She had expected Regina to yell at her and fight her for the terrible thing she had done but the sheer helplessness, that made Regina walk out on her, had taken her aback. It made her feel sad and guilty though she had done nothing but protect her little Queen. Regina stood in the middle of her bedroom, looking utterly lost. She wanted to put her arms around Regina and hold her until it was all over but they had been there, had done that already and nothing had changed. She wanted to tell her that none of this was her fault and that she would do everything she could to make her feel better. Her heart ached with the sight of Regina, desperately trying to figure out what to do.

„Regina," Maleficent said calmly, her voice heavy with regret and sorrow.

„How could you do this to me?" Regina asked without looking at the dragon. Maleficent knew not to answer that question. She had tried to explain it just briefly, knowing that it would go unheeded for now. Now was not the time, that was a conversation they had to save for another, painful time.

Regina raised her head, looking at the dragon who stood right in front of her. She, too, looked somewhat lost; not sure what to do. For so many years Regina had fought and strengthened herself and now these carefully constructed walls had crumbled and fallen within minutes. It overwhelmed her and made her furious; she felt the anger inside her body, the fear tingling in her fingertips and before she her mind had a chance to catch up her body succumb to the rage. Even Maleficent hadn't seen that coming, taken entirely by surprise when Regina slapped her face; she felt the stinging pain, had her breath knocked out of her for an instant.

„How could you do this to me?" Regina yelled furiously. „Why?" she wanted to know and there were tears in the corner of her eyes. She was angry and she had every right to be but this time Maleficent was guarded, her instincts kicking it at just the right moment. When the brunette lashed out at her again she caught her by the wrists, pulling her closer.

Regina opened her mouth in protest. „Why did you do this to me?" she asked again but her resolve slowly faltered and there as slightly less force behind these words. Maleficent held her close and their struggle for power and control was only brief. She had always been stronger than Regina; when the brunette finally let go she lt herself fall, sagging under the weight of betrayal. All of a sudden it seemed like all her power had been drained from her body, the last remaining bits of strength had faded. There were a few seconds of crushing silence before the scalding tears ran down Regina's face and the only sound in the room was that of Regina's heart-wrenching sobs.

Maleficent looked at the woman she loved, her face still hot and stinging but it didn't matter. Regina's cries came from deep within, expressing years and years or pain and grief; it had been long overdue. She carefully took a step toward the brunette and got on her knees in front of Regina, who had her face in her hands. Her body was shaking with violent sobs. The dragon waited and while she listening to Regina's heartbreaking sorrow her tears ran down her cheeks quietly. She inched closer and carefully put her hands on Regina's, trying to get her to face her. She hesitated only briefly before she allowed Maleficent to take her hands away from her face. Her cheeks and palms were wet with tears. The blonde held her hands in her own.

„Don't hide from me," she almost begged with a whisper, her face only inches away from the Dragon's. Mal straightened her back a little, leaning forward to place feather-like kisses where the tears fell freely. One by one she kissed the tears away, knowing it'll comfort her if only for a little while. After what seemed like an eternity Regina put her forehead against Maleficent's, softly weeping and the pain subsided for the time-being. The sorceress laid her arms around Regina's waist, holding her close. She knew that most of the anger wasn't directed at her and even if that was the cause she wouldn't back down and walk away.

While her own tears streamed down her face she wondered whether they'd have enough strength left to get through this somehow. She had felt something inside her break the moment the sound of Regina's heartbreaking sobs had reached her ears. They had simply scratched the surface of suppressed emotions but there was the faintest bit of hope when Regina reached out to her, gently wiping away Maleficent's tears, with her thumbs. She cupped the dragon's face and tilted her head a little to look her in the eyes. Maleficent saw the pain reflected in them but she also found pure adoration for the brunette; a feeling she had always had.

„I will never let anything happen to you again," Maleficent promised. It was an ancient promise, one she intended to keep more than ever. Deep inside Regina knew the feeling was mutual but she felt exhausted and shattered and something told her that she'll need her strength more than ever now. She placed a feather-light kiss on the sorceress lips; allowing her emotionally drained body to drift off to sleep when Maleficent protectively wrapped her arms around her to keep her warm.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Last one before Christmas! Zelena and the Evil Queen have a little chat and it doesn't turn out quite the way they had expected. Thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts. Happy Holidays.**

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Zelena stood by the window, Robin sleeping soundly in her arms. She held the baby close, a smile crossing her face. She couldn't deny that she felt a tremendous amount of guilt ever since she talked to Maleficent. Normally she wouldn't have given a shit, her old self wouldn't give a damn because she got what she wanted, didn't she?

She sighed and hugged the little one a bit tighter, her tiny head resting on her shoulder. She closed her eyes, inhaling deeply. There was this scent that warmed her heart deep inside. She wouldn't change a thing because it gave her little Robin but she had to admit that her methods had been rather questionable and cruel. She had hated Regina for so long, had been so jealous and what for?

She felt empty all of a sudden. All of the anger she had held inside had now vanished because it seemed like there was nothing left to be angry about. It felt wrong in so many ways and she didn't know what to do. She apologized but no matter how many times she did so, it wouldn't undo what had happened. She knew she couldn't stay away from Regina for long. It would only be a matter of time until she started to get suspicious.

Zelena was angry; with herself and Regina. Her mother and with Maleficent for telling her all these things. She was angry because everything she had fought for so hard had collapsed like a house of cards. She wondered whether all the trouble had been worth it after all.

"Except for you, my little one," she whispered and placed a soft kiss on her daughters forehead. She wanted to protect her more than ever, keep her safe from the world around her; Regina had been right. Teaming up with the Evil Queen would not help anyone at all. She had nothing to offer Zelena, did nothing but put her little one at risk. She couldn't let that happen.

"What's going on with the gloomy mood?" The Evil Queen asked matter-of-factly, walking in like she owned the place. Zelena sighed before she turned to face her.

"Your majesty," she said in quiet acknowledgment. For a second she considered addressing her as "Regina" knowing that it would probably bother the hell out of her but she wasn't in the mood to pick a fight.

"Did you consider my offer, dearie?" The Queen asked and she sat in the chair, refusing to put Robin down.

"Yes, yes I did," Zelena said absentmindedly. The truth was that she hadn't had time to think at all and felt somewhat overwhelmed, wishing they would all just give her a break for a while.

"So?" The Queen prompted, sitting down in front of her.

"What exactly do you hope to achieve with this?" Zelena asked and the Queen raised an eyebrow at her. Regina had asked her the same question not too long ago and Zelena hadn't been able to answer it.

"What's that supposed to mean?" The Queen asked, slightly irritated.

"I meant what I just said: what do you hope to get out of this?" Zelena repeated her question and regarded the woman in front of her quietly. These glorious outfits seemed hideously out of place here in Storybrooke. There's no need for that; she was hiding behind the dresses and gowns. Inflicting fear to avoid being hurt. She had done that herself for so long and Zelena suddenly thought about the woman Regina had been before life had turned her into this vicious person, that now sat in front of her.

"My revenge!" She said and Zelena knew the answer before she actually said it. She almost rolled her eyes, feeling sorry for her.

"And then?" Zelena wanted to know. "What happens once Snow and Charming are dead? Your life will be just the same."

„Who said anything about killing them?" I just want them to suffer a little, like I did!"

„I'm so sick of hearing that. Don't you think that'll get boring after a while?"

"What the hell happened to you?" The Queen asked, obviously annoyed. She slowly realized that she was losing the one companion she had been counting on. Gold was worthless and Zelena actually had the ability to keep the old man in check but if she refused there'd be no one left for her.

"I have a child to protect," Zelena said a little more serious. „I don't want her to grow up in a place where people keep fighting each other over ancient grudges. I'm serious, I had nothing to do with your initial... Problem. I'm afraid you'll be on your own."

The Queen didn't look pleased but Zelena refused to back down.

"You had a whole bloody curse, ripped so many people from their lives and punished them and here you are, looking as sulky as ever."

"Watch it!"

"Are you threatening me?" Zelena asked carefully, guarded.

The Queen leaned back in her chair, regaining a bit of her composure.

"Since when are you so positively moral?" She wanted to know.

"Trying to be reasonable," Zelena said.

"Is that so?" The Queen asked, slightly amused.

"First time for everything," Zelena said and smirked at the Queen.

"What did Regina tell you to make you change your mind?" The Queen wanted to know. She hadn't made up her mind at all, it had been too overwhelming but she tried to do what felt right for her daughter. She was still angry at Regina but something had changed. The nature of her anger had changed a bit, the focus had shifted.

"It wasn't Regina I talked to," Zelena said, wondering how the Evil Queen would react to the truth. She was ready to get Robin out of harm's way any second but a part of her also relied on the fact that the Queen wouldn't hurt her with the baby between them but she wouldn't bet her life on it.

Zelena waited; the Queen seemed to think about that for a few seconds.

"I talked to someone who knows you better than anyone else, someone who has known you for a long time," Zelena said and slowly the pieces fell into place. „Someone you once asked for help? Just like you're doing now."

"No..." The Queen said more to herself.

"I talked to your dear friend Maleficent," Zelena said, never losing her opponent out of sight. "I guess you were quite close?" She asked and instantly reminded herself not to tease her if she wanted this to end without a fight.

"None of your business," the Queen brushed her off harshly. "That dragon was nothing but a little trouble along the way. Guess where I got that hideous curse from after her own damn sleeping curse failed. She had to be useful for something."

Zelena knew this wasn't true but then again she was reminded of the fact that she wasn't talking to Regina, who obviously still cared deeply for Maleficent, but to the Evil Queen. There was nothing these two had in common any longer.

"Maleficent told me a few home truths," Zelena said. „Reminding me of the fact that I have nothing to be envious about. Better late than never."

„So, you're telling me that, whatever that sorceress has told you, suddenly made your anger vanish into thin air and you're giving you just like that? I'm not buying it!"

"It wasn't my battle in the first place," Zelena said. "You wanted to use me to punish Regina and there might have been a time when that would have worked but I changed my mind. Maleficent changed my mind; this is your battle, not mine."

Just as she had expected the Queen wasn't pleased with that. Zelena still felt slightly insecure about all of it but she couldn't back down now. There was no going back.

"So you'll just let them win? Let them all have a happy ending while you're watching from afar, feeling left out and sorry for yourself? You'll never be a part of them."

„I don't give a damn about dear Snow White and Prince Charming," Zelena said and this part, for once, was true.

„I really don't believe this," the Queen said and rolled her eyes. The anger she felt was dangerously boiling beneath the surface. „For a woman who's spent her whole life envying _me_ for God's sake this sudden change seems awfully out of place," she said, knowing that she had a point. What she wasn't aware of was the reason for her change of heart.

Zelena rolled her eyes; thinking. This same old story turned out to be pretty boring after a while.

„Didn't that turn you green with envy?" The Queen said with a mocking laugh; her voice was a little softer, calmer when she spoke. „Poor Zelena had everything taken away from her while _I_ got to be Queen."

Zelena closed her eyes for a second, willing herself to ignore the woman in front of her. This was exactly what she wanted; she wanted to tease her, tear open the wounds that had been healing so slowly. She focused on the steady heartbeat of her little daughter, a reminder of being cautious and maybe even reasonable for once.

„I had the life you always wanted, Regina had it but God forbid she gave it all up for them," she said with a wave of her hands.

„You had nothing I ever wanted," Zelena said quietly.

„Liar!" the Queen said and abruptly rose from her chair, making Zelena flinch for an instant. „These were the exact words you used!"

„Maybe I did," Zelena admitted. „When I was blinded by rage, desperate and didn't know any better. I'll choose my daughters safety over your damn revenge!" she said a little louder, placing another soft kiss on her daughters forehead before the litte one vanished from her arms, to a safer place. Once the baby was gone Zelena rose from her chair to stand in front of the Evil Queen.

„A child you shouldn't even have," the Queen said in a dangerously low voice, judging her with every word she uttered. She had hit a soft spot, twisting the knife in the wound. „I admit that this was indeed a very wicked thing to do but the fact is: Regina hates you," the Queen said, enjoying every word of it. „She hates you for what you did and she will never get over it."

„Just because you can't let go doesn't mean Regina won't."

„Oh, please. She will think about it every time she sees your precious daughter. It will never go away and a part of Regina will always hate you for that."

She had a point and Zelena felt the emptiness slowly seep through her veins, numbing her body. She had pushed that thought far away, tried to forget about it but it all came back at once. Here she was, telling the Evil Queen that she had somehow changed her mind when, in the end, she wasn't better than the Queen herself. The horrible things she had done would be with her for the rest of her life; the wounds would heal but the guilt would always linger in the shadows.

„Oh, did that touch a raw nerve?" The Queen asked sweetly.

„She can hate me all she wants," Zelena said quietly. She felt the emotions boiling, trying to keep her voice steady. She was angry and hurt though she was not ready to admit that; especially not in front of the Evil Queen. „She has any reason to hate me but I no longer have one," she said, going back to what they'd already addressed a few minutes ago.

„Yes, I wanted to be like you and Regina my whole life, but look at you?" Zelena said angrily, closing the distance between them. „It's not worth it anymore. You have nothing, no one who wants to help you. This is what you get for being such a _lovely_ person!"

„I don't need you," the Queen said furiously through gritted teeth. „You're just as useless as the rest of them," she said. She knew Zelena was right about this one thing; there was no one left around here she could team up with. Once again, she was all by herself.

„Then why are you here?" Zelena asked. „It's not like I invited you over, dearie!"

„Look at you, having gone all soft," The Queen said. „Should've known that from that from the start. No wonder mother didn't keep you around."

„Still better than being kept as a puppet for your mothers needs; her wish for wealth and power," Zelena almost whispered. „Don't go all superior on me sweetheart. Weren't you the one seeking Maleficent's help because everyone treated you so badly?" The moment she said those words she knew that they were particularly low and that she should't have crossed that line but she also remembered that the woman in front of her wasn't her sister. She was not the one she had to make amends with, not the one she felt sorry for.

What happened next came unexpected and with a vengeance that Zelena had not anticipated. She had expected the Queen to attack her, use some kind of magic to cause her pain. She had been ready for that. What she had not been prepared for was the fact that she made it a little more personal. For an instant Zelena was completely taken aback when the Queen slapped her in the face. She felt the pain stinging in her cheek, trying to gather her thoughts.

The Queen looked at her, waiting for her to make the next move but she didn't apologize nor did she fight back. There was no point any longer. Regina had been right after all and Zelena realized that she had no reason for getting involved with the woman in front of her.

There was nothing but hatred and anger. She was a woman deeply hurt inside, someone who had nothing left but her wish for revenge. All of a sudden, Zelena almost pitied the Queen and that said a lot, coming from the infamous Wicked Witch. Zelena herself would never be a hero; she didn't want that. God knows that didn't suit her but she had a choice. She wanted to be nothing like the Queen who had lost herself and everything in her revenge but she had a responsibility now. One that didn't include just her own life but also her daughters and she had sworn to herself to protect that at all costs.

„I think you should leave, _your majesty_ ," Zelena said, trying to keep her voice calm.

„You will regret this," the Queen said calmly with a grin on her lips. She looked at Zelena for a moment as if wanting to say something else but kept it to herself. She didn't say another word before she vanished in a cloud of purple smoke, leaving Zelena all to herself in the quiet house. She had made her decision long before that; the moment she had realized that Zelena wouldn't help her she had another idea. In the end it wouldn't be revenge that caused the witch great misery but guilt and the Queen had her own idea of using that against her. She had no intention of harming that little child of hers nor would she come after the Witch; she had a better idea. Something that would hurt a little more but she needed a bit of time to set her plan into action, leaving them to wonder what she would do next.

Zelena laid her face in her hands, trying to gather her thoughts. She felt the heat and the sting in her cheek; she was angry, feeling the tears well in her eyes. There was a numb pain in her belly and she had to admit that it had certainly cracked her ego a little when the bloody Queen had slapped her. She was exhausted and confused, sighing with frustration. She took a few deep breaths, forcing the tears back before she set off to get her daughter back.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Regina and Mal face each other after the breakdown. Their quiet moment is interrupted by an unexpected visitor.**

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She felt her senses come to life slowly, waking from an unusually deep slumber at an unusual time. For an instant she was confused and taking a nap in the middle of the day wasn't something she normally did. Regina took a deep breath, remembering the situation that had brought her to her own bedroom just a few hours earlier.

It was dark and grey outside, rain was splattering against the glass. She kept her eyes on the window, suddenly remembering that she hadn't been on her own. She felt Maleficent's presence, keeping a respective distance. Regina wasn't sure whether Maleficent was asleep or not but she couldn't bring herself to turn around or address her. Regina still felt drowsy and strangely exhausted, her body heavy against the softness of her bed. Her initial anger had vanished, eased off a little but every part of her body felt numb and there was a certain emptiness inside of her that weighed her down. She wanted to turn around and look at Maleficent, find comfort in her arms and enjoy the soothing familiarity of the woman next to her but a part of her was fighting against it.

She wanted to be left alone, wanted to be angry with Maleficent but at the same time she needed her more than ever. It confused Regina and made her frustrated for a second. She sighed quietly to herself before she rose slowly, sitting on the edge of the bed. There was a sudden chill and Regina hugged herself to ward it off before she laid her face in her hands, trying to think. There was so much going on inside her head that it threatened to give her a headache; she felt emotionally exhausted.

Regina heard Maleficent behind her, the sheets rustling softly when she moved.

"Do you want me to leave?" she asked softly with a certain tenderness that touched Regina, threatening to break her once more when she was just about to put the pieces back together. She sensed the guilt that Maleficent felt, the regret for what she had done, with every word she uttered.

Regina took a deep breath, straightening her back. She gripped the mattress on either side of her body, trying to hold on to it. Keeping her eyes on the window she tried to say something but words failed her.

Maleficent looked at the woman in front of her. She was right there and still out of reach. She wanted to hug her and keep her close but she knew she had to be careful. She knew Regina; knew she didn't want to be alone at the moment although she couldn't say it but Maleficent wanted to give her a choice. A part of her knew she would stay even if Regina told her to leave but it was all she could think of. She knew she was walking on thin ice that was in danger of breaking with a single, miscalculated movement. Maleficent knew that their relationship had always been somewhat difficult; times had been rather difficult for both of them but deep inside the feelings for the woman she fell in love with so many years ago had never dissipated.

They would forever be linked by gruesome memories, deeply passionate moments and hours of tenderly given comfort. She had allowed Regina to see a side of her that no one would ever get to see no matter which realm they were in and Regina had done the same thing. Regina had resented her, used her and insulted her and Maleficent could live with that, what she couldn't cope with was the quiet surrender, the defeat and the obvious disappointment that lasted heavily on Regina. She had never intended to hurt her; it was quite the opposite. She had wanted to protect Regina but a part of her was terrified that she had ruined it for good, wondering whether Regina would ever trust her again.

"You are afraid," Regina said calmly, her voice still heavy with sleep. It was a statement, not a question. Maleficent looked up, her train of thoughts interrupted. For an instant she saw a much younger Regina sitting in front of her, curled up protectively within her thoughts. It had taken Maleficent quite some time to break through the walls the queen had set up around herself and she was ready to do it again, she just didn't know whether Regina was.

"I don't want to lose you," Maleficent admitted quietly. There was no point in lying or beating around the bush any longer. The dragon waited, never losing Regina out of sight. The brunette closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. That was the last thing she wanted, she couldn't lose Maleficent and she didn't want her to think so. She bit her lip, eyes watering with unshed tears.

She didn't want Maleficent to leave her, didn't want her to think that she didn't need her so she held out her left hand, turning only partially. She saw the outlines of the dragon from the corner of her eye. She didn't have the strength to face her, knowing she wouldn't be able to maintain her weak composure if she did so. Maleficent reached out to take Regina's hand, their fingers softly brushing against one another at first. The dragon inched a little closer, holding the hand that was offered to her. She felt a sense of relief wash over her when Regina's grip tightened around her own hand, entwining their fingers and desperately holding on to it. There was a brief moment of perfect calm when the softest sob escaped Regina's lips.

It was the sound that Maleficent had heard far too many times, echoing off the cold walls of the Forbidden Fortress; it was the sound that tore her apart and broke her heart. Within these seconds of heart-wrenching sobbing there was nothing she could do but helplessly listen to the sounds of deeply rooted pain and sorrow. She moved closer to Regina sitting right behind the brunette, never letting go of her hand. With one leg on either side of the queen she leaned against her back, her right arm holding her close. Slowly Regina leaned against the sorceress, their bodies melting into each other. Maleficent placed a feather-light kiss on Regina's left shoulder and closed her eyes, inhaling deeply.

"You will always be my little queen," Maleficent whispered with a smile but it only took an instant for the smile to vanish and the fresh tears welled up in her eyes. She had given up on hiding them; Maleficent had never been a teary-eyed person nor was she openly comfortable with public displays of affection but this was just her and Regina and god knows she had seen her in far worse conditions.

Maleficent hugged Regina from behind, holding her tightly. She tried to keep her breath calm and steady while the tears quietly ran down her cheeks.

"I just meant to keep you safe," Maleficent whispered. Regina knew that and the fact that Mal's voice just cracked a little didn't help the unstable condition she found herself in. She had always relied on the sorceress to be the stronger one; the one who told her to get her shit together and get it over and done with. Sometimes Regina found herself forgetting about the fact that the dragon had another side. One that only Regina got to see in those rare hours of tender affection when the walls broke just a little, a tiny crack in the armor that surrounded the sorceress, allowing Regina to see the whole picture. There was a tender and soft, but by no means weak, person behind all that; a generous and attentive lover, a deeply caring person. The brunette tried to remember this when she let herself fall back into the comforting confines of Maleficent's arms, deeply inhaling the familiar scent surrounding her. She laid her head back on Maleficent's shoulder and the dragon placed a soft kiss in the crook of her neck.

Regina wanted to cry to ease the pressure on her chest, to fill the emptiness that slowly consumed her from within but she felt utterly exhausted and drained. She focused on Maleficent's steady breath, her heartbeat that she faintly noticed against her back. She allowed herself to get lost in the moment that seemed almost to good to be true. Regina didn't trust all of it, not with her disastrous alter ego out and about in town; it seemed like the quiet before the storm. She pushed the thoughts aside, promising herself to deal with this mess another time and let the warmth of the dragon soothe her.

"I know," Regina whispered after a while. "I know you will always be there for me," the queen said and meant it; it was the first time she had actually spoken to Maleficent since she woke up earlier. What she had yet to understand was why Maleficent had told her sister about her own past she knew that the sorceress had had absolutely no intention to harm her.

"I don't hate you," Regina said calmly after some time later. She laid on her side, facing Maleficent. She hadn't let go of the sorceress hand and there was hardly any space between them. Regina felt the dragon's heat softly comforting her but she wasn't quite ready to close the last bit of distance between them just yet.

"I should have talked to you," Maleficent said and looked at their entwined fingers. "I'm sorry, Regina."

"Did she really ask you about that?" Regina wanted to know.

"She wanted answers, like we all did," Maleficent began to explain. "She needed to know why she had been abandoned. I guess there was no one who ever told her where she really came from?" Maleficent said and Regina shook her head. "She envied you for all the wrong things my dear and I couldn't bear to let her hate you for all the things you had to go through," she said and she knew that Regina understood that somehow but she also understood how hard this must be right now. Regina bit her lip, trying to think of something to say.

"You are afraid she'll use it against you?" Maleficent asked softly.

"Yes," Regina admitted after a few seconds of consideration. "It makes me feel vulnerable and I don't like it. It makes me feel weak."

"You are anything but weak," Maleficent said and propped herself up on her elbow. "You are the strongest woman I know. You are the one who helped me get my fire back," Maleficent said and squeezed her hand lightly.

"I don't really know Zelena," Maleficent said. "But I have a feeling that this won't be a problem."

"What do you mean?" Regina wanted to know.

"It wasn't what she had expected. She was probably looking for a reason to keep her anger alive. She tried so hard hating you that this was all she had," Mal explained and Regina nodded. It was a feeling they both knew all too well. "She needed something to hold on to."

"But she has tried change," Regina said more to herself.

"I have no doubt about that," Maleficent said, knowing how much it meant to Regina to have her sister around. "But I guess we both know that it isn't always easy."

"Is that why she has been avoiding me?"

"I've asked her not to talk to you before I had a chance to do so," Maleficent said. "I wanted to let you know first," the dragon said and briefly remembered the tearful breakdown earlier. "She seemed pretty shaken up after that and she wants to keep her baby safe and now that the Evil Queen is around I don't think she's all to keen on getting herself in trouble."

"I hope so," Regina said. "For her own sake. And the baby's."

"I'm sorry I put you through all of this," the dragon said a little softer. "I'm sorry I didn't protect you when I should have," Maleficent said and Regina put a finger in her lips.

"You have done more for me than any one else in my life ever has," Regina said and, for the very first time that evening, she looked into those icy blue eyes. "You kept me alive. For better or worse," Regina said and the softest chuckle escaped her lips. "I owe you everything. I don't want to talk about it. Not now, maybe some other time but I don't want you to feel bad about it because you saved me," Regina said again and Maleficent kissed the finger that was still resting on her lips.

Regina quietly regarded the woman in front of her; the beautiful, mysterious and dangerous woman who had been her lover and companion for such a long time. For the first time that day she actually looked at Maleficent, put all the pain and anger aside and looked at what was right in front of her. Maleficent wore no make-up at all which was a rather rare sight and her long blond hair felt past her shoulders. She had exchanged her usually formal and elegant attire for more comfortable black leggings and an oversized sweater. The thought of that almost made Regina laugh but the truth was that she had never been more beautiful. There was a sudden pang of guilt when Regina noticed the faintest bruise on Maleficent's cheek. She reached out and brushed the skin with her fingertips.

"I'm sorry I hit you," Regina said calmly.

"I probably deserved it."

"Well," Regina said with a slightly mocking grin on her lips. "I do recall a time when you've asked for it..."

„Oh, please. Don't go there," Maleficent said and they both laughed, lightening up the mood just a little. The brunette concentrated, focused her attention like she had been taught to and the bruise on Maleficent's cheek healed in a soft purple glow.

"I like this," Regina said softly and placed a few strands of hair behind her ear, curling the end loosely around her finger. "It suits you," Regina said and closed the last remaining distance between their bodies. Maleficent smiled, the faintest blush creeping up in her cheeks.

"Don't worry. I won't tell anyone that the ruthless dragon sorceress is actually very tender and soft and not quite as fearsome as they think," Regina said with a slightly teasing undertone.

"Don't you dare ruin my reputation," Maleficent warned her but it didn't sound serious even if she had tried. The dragon put her hand on Regina's hip first before letting it rest on her back. She felt Regina invading her senses; felt the warmth of her body, her breath close to her face, her heartbeat against her chest. Her fingers were still playing with her hair, brushing against her cheek every now and then.

"Kiss me," Regina said out of nowhere. Her voice was calm and undemanding but Maleficent knew there was so much meaning behind these words, so much need. There were still so many unsaid things between them but Maleficent knew now wasn't the time. Maybe there would never be a right time but she also knew that she didn't want her to feel guilty about anything or regret what she had done in the end.

Maleficent took her hand from Regina's back, her thumb softly caressing the brunette's cheek before she leaned in and placed the softest, feather-light kiss on her lips. Maleficent smiled when she leaned in for another kiss, lingering just a little longer this time before she put her head back on the pillow without moving away from Regina, their lips only a few inches apart.

"Well aren't we just the most fucked up pair ever?" Maleficent asked and they both laughed. Regina leaned her forehead against Maleficent's, laying her arm around the sorceress.

"Yes, I believe that much is true," Regina said with a sigh before something caught her attention.

"What is it?" Maleficent asked a little surprised when Regina sat up.

"Did you hear that?" Regina asked and looked at Maleficent.

"Do you think someone came into the house?" Maleficent asked though she hadn't heard anything.

"I don't know," Regina said and got up from the bed. "Just feels like... Something is off. It's not Henry. That, I would've recognized," she said and Maleficent followed her when she left the bedroom and walked downstairs.

She was guarded and ready to fight any intruder who had the audacity of coming into her house without asking first. Much to her dismay this has become a rather frequent habit of any villain in this town. No one ever used the doorbell and people just popped up wherever and whenever they felt like it.

Regina made her way toward the living room, praying that it wasn't the Evil Queen because that was the last person she wanted to see right now when they heard a baby crying and Maleficent raised an eyebrow at her.

"It's Robin," Regina said and quickly walked into the living room, slightly relieved when there was no one else around but on second thought she wondered where her sister is. Regina walked to the crib and picked the baby up, holding her close to soothe her.

"It's ok, sweetheart," Regina whispered and placed a soft kiss on the girls head, soothing herself in the process rather than the little one. She started pacing the room, forgetting about Maleficent for an instant.

The dragon watched Regina with the baby, mesmerized and surprised at the same time.

Soon the baby calmed down and Maleficent began to look around, wondering if something was going to happen and the baby was simply a distraction.

"Now, where's your mum?" Regina asked and wondered what had happened. Maleficent turned around, raised her hands to put a protection spell on the house just in case.

"Do you want me to go and find her?" Maleficent offered. It did strike her as a bit odd that the woman, who had so recently vowed to keep her baby safe, would just send her away without a good reason. Despite that Zelena knew very well how to protect herself and her daughter so she must've been very concerned about the well-being of her little one.

"How about I call her first?" Regina offered and the disapproving look on Maleficent's face kept her from actually retrieving her mobile. They were two incredibly powerful women with loads of magic and she wanted to make a call. Maleficent thought she'd never quite understand this world but before either of them had a chance to make up their mind they heard footsteps in the hall.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Sorry it's been so long. Things have been a little crazy. Enjoy the new chapter.**

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They both turned toward the sound of approaching footsteps and waited. Regina knew there were only two people who'd be able to breach through Maleficent's protection spell. A few seconds later Zelena walked toward them, looking furious and slightly hurt.

She didn't look at the two women when she walked past them. Zelena was angry and hurt. She still hadn't seen Regina since finding out about her fucked up past and she didn't know what to say. She wasn't ready for the I-told-you-so-lecture for trying to team up with the Evil Queen and she just wanted to cry and be left alone.

"You need to get rid of that bloody queen," Zelena said through gritted teeth and hesitated for an instant. She wanted to hug her baby girl but she also needed a moment to breathe and clear her head. She felt her eyes well up with tears and walked right past her sister. Robyn was fine, she knew Regina would never let anything happen to her. With that thought she climbed the stairs to her room and slammed the door behind her.

Maleficent raised an eyebrow at Regina.

"I think you should go and talk to her," Mal suggested and Regina sighed.

"You can't avoid each other forever," the sorceress said and Regina knew she had a point. Something was up and Regina needed to know what happened. "Go and talk to her," Maleficent said again, a little softer this time and held out her hand to take the baby from Regina.

She had thought about that for a moment, telling herself that she had been a terrible mother for not being able to protect her own child but she couldn't beat herself up about it for the rest of her life. She had her daughter back, got everything she had ever wanted. What she couldn't get back was the lost time though. For a moment there was this longing inside of her when she watched Regina soothing the baby.

The brunette looked at her, not sure what to do.

"Did you just hesitate to give me the baby?" Maleficent asked though not sounding particularly angry.

"Sorry," Regina admitted with a shrug. "I didn't mean to."

"What do you think I'll do?" Maleficent asked. She knew it made Regina a little uneasy now that she didn't know how to get out of that any more. Regina had seen Mal with her daughter and she had no doubt everything would be fine, she trusted her more than ever.

"Talk to Zelena," Maleficent said again and took the baby from Regina and walked to the sofa.

"I'm sorry," Regina mouthed again before she turned around and left but Maleficent chose to ignore Regina. She shook her head, suppressing a smile.

"Hey there," Maleficent said quietly, smiling at the baby girl in her lap. Robyn looked at her with open eyes, reaching for Mal's pinky.

Upstairs Regina gave herself a minute to gather her thoughts, trying to think of something to say before she knocked on the door.

"Zelena?" Regina asked quietly when she knocked. Regina waited a few seconds before she opened the door slowly. Zelena sat on the bed, hugging her knees. She didn't look at Regina, who walked around the bed and sat down.

"What happened?" Regina asked, not knowing what else to say at the moment. Zelena wiped her cheek with the back of her hand and bit her lip. The witch shrugged, not knowing where to start.

"She slapped me," Zelena said all of a sudden and Regina bit her lip trying not to laugh. She felt sorry for her sister but the whole thing came so unexpected that it made her laugh for an instant. She didn't mean to but that probably explained why Zelena was so furious.

"Bitch," Zelena said when Regina laughed at her, hitting her with a pillow. I'm glad you find my bruised ego so entertaining." Regina took the pillow, laid back on the bed and put it under her head.

"I probably deserved it," Zelena said, laughing through the tears.

"No, you didn't," Regina said a little more serious. She turned and faced Zelena. For the first time in a couple of days they actually looked at each other. Zelena regarded her sister quietly. It felt like so much had been changed since she knew the truth. All of a sudden the image of the Queen, she had envied for such a long time, had changed. The woman laying on her bed looked nothing like the woman she had hated for so long. She was a strong woman that Zelena secretly admired for the strength she had brought up to pull through and change after all. As hard as it seemed she had somehow found the strength not to give up and lose hope.

"Talk to me," Regina offered and waited. Her sister took a deep breath, her folded hands resting on her knees. After a couple of seconds Zelena shook her head without saying a word. She had had so many things on her mind and now that the moment was here her mind had gone blank.

She was sorry for what she had done, for digging into her sister's past. She felt sorry for what had happened to her sister and that was a feeling she still had to get used to. She had never given a damn about anyone but herself and she hadn't been the best when it came to giving empathy. Things were changing; she was changing and it confused her.

"I shouldn't have gone to Maleficent..." Zelena said quietly without looking at her sister. Regina stared at the ceiling, wondering whether this was going to be an apology.

"There are a lot of things you shouldn't have done," Regina said more to herself and pinched the back of her nose with two fingers, reminding herself that she came in peace and had no intention of picking a fight. She was still hurt and angry deep inside but she chose to push that aside and be rational. Zelena sighed and Regina practically heard her rolling her eyes.

"Did you just come here to rub it in?" Zelena asked. She was aware of the bitterness in her voice. She couldn't undo what had happened and maybe she'd just have to live with it. Zelena also knew that things had gone wrong and that her sister had any right to be mad.

This time Regina sighed, closing her eyes for an instant.

"No," Regina said and sat up, noticing her sister's defensive composure. "Not at all. That's something that pretty much accounts for both of us," the brunette said, trying to smooth things a bit. Zelena leaned her face on her hands barely breathing because the tears threatened to spill once more. She wasn't sure who to be angry with, it all seemed overwhelming. Her entire plan had been so wicked and satisfying until she found out the truth.

"Hey," Regina said softly and reached out to take Zelena's hand. As much as she wanted to hate her sometimes she also felt a deeply rooted sympathy. She knew more than anyone how hard change could be and that it costs a lot of strength. "I know it's... Not what you expected," Regina said carefully. She knew it sounded ridiculous but she didn't know what else to say without going into too much detail; she wasn't ready for that either.

"I spent so much time hating you," Zelena said calmly, ignoring the tears that ran down her cheeks. That much was known to Regina but she didn't want to interrupt her. "I felt betrayed and left alone," Zelena said.

"I know that feeling too well," Regina said and Zelena faced her. For the first time she actually understood.

"I was the one who had been given away," Zelena said. "The one no one wanted and who didn't fit in. I grew up with the thought of never being good enough. No matter what I did, it wasn't enough," she said quietly and wiped the tears away with her thumb. Regina watched her, deeply touched. As much as she wanted to hate her, she couldn't; not at this moment.

Zelena was her sister and the only family she had left. She also remembered the memories that their mother had returned to them in the underworld. Those brief moments of happiness, when she had been reunited with her sister, that she only remembered just now.

"And then there was you," Zelena said, biting her lip. She felt the anger and the pain, that she had kept inside for so long, slowly wash over her. "You got to be Queen and everything just seemed perfect for you," Zelena said, noticing how ridiculous that sounded now.

"We were both forced into lives we didn't want," Regina said.

"I was green with envy," Zelena said and almost laugh, feeling ashamed which was also something she wasn't used to.

"You couldn't have known," Regina said. "I probably would have felt the same," she admitted. She had not just hated but envied Snow for a very long time, she knew how that felt. "I did, in some way," Regina said. "I also hated people for the things I couldn't have."

"I wanted to be mad at you," Zelena said and looked at her sister. "It felt like doing this was all I had left and now it… it doesn't make sense any more. I don't know what to do," she admitted.

"Is that why you tried to work with my Evil half?" Regina asked. "She's just a more horrible version of us. She is the one who has nothing left in her life, nothing worth living for. She'd leave you to die whenever it suited her because she doesn't care about anyone but herself and her revenge," Regina explained and took a deep breath. "She tried to turn you against me for her own plans. Why did she slap you anyway?"

"I told her to fuck off," Zelena said. "And that I didn't want to do this because I started to realize what kind of a horrible person she actually is."

"Be mad at me if you have to but stay away from her," Regina said, knowing that she was repeating herself but for some reason it felt like this wouldn't go on deaf ears this time.

Zelena nodded and reached out for her sister's hand, actually holding onto it now. "I'm sorry," Zelena whispered. "I'm really sorry for what you had to go through."

Regina looked at her, her emotions threatening to get the better off her. She wasn't ready to cry again but willing to accept the apology.

"How did you survive?" Zelena asked all of a sudden. "I know I've been to some dark places and I've done some horrible shit but I also remember the times when I'd been close to giving up. How did you get out?" Zelena knew the stories but she also knew that there was more to what people said and more to what was written in any book.

Regina didn't have to think about it. There was only one reason she was still alive at this very moment.

"Maleficent," she said softly without hesitation. "I was young and naive back then. Only slowly did I realize what was being asked of me and that I had been used by our mother," Regina explained. "She was very powerful as you may have known and she'd never missed a chance to display her powers."

Regina paused, trying to figure out how much to tell Zelena. She felt like enough of her illusions had already been shattered within the last few days.

"I figured that I needed to be more powerful to get out but no one could know and I couldn't ask Cora obviously."

"So you found yourself a dragon," Zelena said and the slightest hint of a smile appeared on her lips.

"More or less," Regina admitted. "She wasn't in good shape when I first found her and there was not much of the dragon left. She had been defeated as well," Regina said and decided that this was all her sister needed to know at the moment. After all she had promised not to ruin Mal's reputation.

"You saved each other," Zelena said and slowly started to put the pieces together.

"Yes we did," Regina said and nodded. "She kept me sane and strong. She kept me alive. I never wanted to be Queen," she said quietly and felt the sadness overtake her for an instant. "No one ever asked me either. I was lonely until I met Maleficent. I finally had someone I could talk to and trust."

Zelena stretched her legs and moved to the edge of the bed, sitting next to the brunette. "I never loved the man I was forced to marry and I didn't want to have his children either," Regina said and quickly moved on because she wasn't ready to get into any detail here. "Maleficent offered a refuge and comfort and… other ways of escapes."

Zelena looked at her sister from the side, wondering whether she really wanted to know what this was about.

"A lot of it got lost in a haze of too much wine and fancy-play with a certain sleeping curse," Regina said more to herself and Zelena looked surprised for a second. "Don't ask," Regina said with a smirk.

"Thank you for telling me," Zelena said and she actually meant it. She knew it must have been hard and it probably still is so she was grateful for this little moment they just shared. She had spent her life pushing people away but what she needed now more than ever was a little comfort. Slowly she laid her arm around Regina's waist, relieve washing over her when Regina laid an arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer.

They both sat there in silence for a while, both looking out the window.

"Regina?" Zelena asked, breaking the silence.

"Mhm?"

"Why did you trap Maleficent when you cursed everyone?" Zelena wanted to know. She had always wondered about this little detail ever since she had heard about it. Now that she knew a little more about their past she could probably put the pieces together but she still felt the need to ask.

"She wasn't just my strength," Regina said. "She was also my weakness."

"I understand," Zelena said.

"Speaking of which," Regina said and rose from the bed. "She's still downstairs with the little one and I think we have a problem to solve," Regina said.

"I'll be with you in a minute," Zelena said and Regina softly touched her shoulder before she left the room. She took a deep breath, feeling just a tiny bit more at ease now. Quietly she made her way downstairs and what she found there warmed her heart and brought tears to her eyes for an instant. She entered the living room, watching Maleficent with baby Robyn. She was snuggled up on the couch with the baby on her knees, feeding her with a bottle. One of her tiny hands was still holding onto Maleficent's pinky and the dragon had the loveliest smile on her face.

"Hey," Regina whispered when she walked in. She sat down on the edge of the sofa behind Maleficent and laid an arm around the sorceress' shoulder, placing the softest kiss against her temple.

"Everything okay?" Maleficent asked and leaned against Regina.

"Yes," the brunette said and took a deep breath, slowly inhaling the familiar scent that had comforted her so many times before.

"I like this," Regina whispered in her ear. Robyn was almost asleep. She had let go off Mal's pinky and the dragon was softly caressing her forehead with her finger, causing her to drift off to sleep eventually.

They hadn't noticed Zelena coming downstairs. She had watched all three of them for a second before she decided to leave them be and grab a cup of coffee instead.


End file.
